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Cell ontology restructuring efforts

The cell ontology is being restructured with the general goals of improving definitions, moving towards single inheritance and is_a completeness, and making the CL more interoperable with the GO and CARO. These discussions are occurring via chat, the histories of which will be posted here. Please email the OBO cell list if you would like to participate.

An initial rough draft can be found below in OBO format with the proposed new branch at the same level as 'cell'. Current tasks include moving cells over to the 'by structure' branch to test for compatibility and potential problems.

NIAID Cell Ontology Workshop, May 13-14, 2008

The NIAID sponsored a Cell Ontology Workshop, May 13-14, 2008, in Bethesda, focusing on improving representation of immune cell types in the Cell Ontology. The participants in the workshop worked together to extend the current ontology in the area of immune cell types and to provide the necessary information for the upcoming restructuring of the Cell Ontology in single-inheritance form with genus-differentia definitions.

Is_a Completeness for the current Cell Ontology

As of May 30, 2008, 57 cell types in the Cell Ontology lack an is_a path to the root node cell. We would like to provide this is_a path in short order. The proposal is to provide these paths by June 15, 2008, either by providing an is_a parent of an appropriate superclass of cell, or by linking to the root. We are taking suggestions about what is_a parents to use. Please check out the page for May 2008 Is_a Orphans in the Cell Ontology and make some suggestions. All cells still without a valid suggestion for an is_a path to the root will be made direct is_a children of the root node at that time.